A Sacrifice
by iamhollywood
Summary: two of the Teen Titans have a nightly ritual that none of the others know about.
1. Default Chapter

A Sacrifice

Disclaimer: don't own the teen titans

"you've come to love me lightly, yeah you've come to hold me tight, is this motion ever lasting, or do shudders pass in the night?" -Interpol "Evil"

His eyes opened at exactly 12:13AM. He wasn't exactly sure why, but this is when it always happened. He had become accustomed to it though. He slowly pulled himself out of bed and pulled on a pair of shorts over his boxers and then a shirt over his head. He opened his door and began walking down a darkened hallway. If he were honest with himself he would know that he had memorized the time, the steps, and the turns necessary to make it to the room he now stood before. He could hear her begin to cry ever so slightly just like the first night this had all begun. She really had tried to keep it quiet so as not to alarm her teammates, but it hadn't been quiet enough for him. His senses were heightened to the point where he could hear a pin drop...on the opposite end of the tower. He punched in her code and walked in, they never greeted one another during these nightly visits, in fact they never spoke at all after that first night. It was mutually understood.

She sat on her bed, legs hanging off the edge towards the door. He could see her perfectly, the sheets were thrown on the floor and some of the objects in her room had been thrown about. He saw a small bear laying beside her on the bed. He had won it for her the last time they had gone to the Fun Fair. He walked to her bed and sat down beside her, causing her to look up at him. She smiled ever so slightly before letting it crumple again into a frown. Carefully hidden tears left their hiding places and made their way down her porcelain white skin. His thumbs stopped them and then wiped them away. He looked into her eyes wondering how much more of this she could take, how much longer this would last. She pulled him to her and embraced him, her chin hugging his shoulder. He held her as tightly as he could, feeling her body tremble. He was never sure if it trembled in fear, relief, or sorrow. On days when he felt optimistic he was sure it was the second one. The relief of knowing somebody was there for her, who wouldn't leave her side, proof that she wouldn't die alone. Most days he was sure it was one of the other two.

She pulled away ever so slightly so that their faces were only an inch apart. She shook her head when she saw his eyes, but he nodded. She looked away and then back at him before touching her forehead to his. It hit him with a force he was never ready for, no matter how many times it happened to him. The first time it had happened he had vomited and been unconscious for five days. He had told the rest of his teammates he had caught a bug, none of them believed him nor did they feel the need to press the issue either. She stayed by his bedside most days and they never said anything about that either.

He could see the nightmares she had experienced ones of death and destruction, the loss of her friends, the end of a world at her hands. He cried and now it was her turn to comfort him. She held him again, running a hand up and down his back slowly. She 'shhhh' ever so quietly and slowly and began to rock him back and forth. When his sobbing had subsided he pulled away and wiped away his tears and flashed her a sad smile. She reflected the sad smile and then stood up as he did the same. He hugged her again and then picked her up, laying her in her bed. He then picked up the sheets and lay them over her, somewhat clumsily, but then that's how it always as. The small bear was handed to her just as her lids began to close. He kissed her forehead and began putting the objects around her room back where they belonged. He had done it so often that he knew exactly where they went without asking.

He looked around her room to make sure nothing was left out of place. He heard her murmur in her sleep and he smiled before leaving her room. Slowly he made his way to his own room, navigating through the various objects left lying around his room, and lay in his own bed. Sleep came quickly, just as it always did for the both of them.

Read and review please, thanks.

ps not really sure if this is going to be a one shot or not guess it depends.


	2. Compassion is Only a Conversation Away

Chapter 2 Compassion is Only a Conversation Away

"We ain't goin to the town. We're goin to the city." Interpol 'Next Exit'

Disclaimer I don't own the titans

Author's note: well I've been asked by a couple of you to continue the story so I'm going to try though I'm not quite sure if I will be able to pull it off. How about this? I'll try it with this chapter and if it blows, just say so and I'll stop :) Thanks guys for all your reviews seriously though. Oh and I think this chapter is going to be short, sorry, but I've got an idea for the next chapter if it makes it that far.

angelsofsouls: hope this chapter makes it a little bit clearer :)

Slayergirl1362: thanks, love your writing by the way

nothing else worked: sorrry bout dat, but thank you for the review :)

Change-Of-Heart2: thanks, very much

DarkDeamon3: hope its still good

Readerrr Grrrl: Glad you like it, hope you continue to

RyokoJesseandFiend: I'm thinking about a one-shot...maybe Thanks for your support

It was getting harder to keep up appearances. She couldn't keep bashing him in public and then confiding in him in private. After she berated him,when nobody was looking, she gave her most apologetic expression and most times he accepted it with a nod of his head, other times he smiled and gave her a wink. Still, even if he knew, she couldn't stand to be dishonest to herself. She remembered the last time she had yelled at him had been yesterday.

He had been walking into the kitchen, obviously tired from the night before. He gave her the slightest of smiles while Starfire had her back turned to them, mixing batter and Cyborg and Robin were playing a racing game. He had opened a cabinet searching for a glass, when he had finally found the one he wanted he grabbed and pulled it out, forgetting the surrounding glasses. Two ofthe glassesfell and shattered on the floor. It wouldn't have been that big of a deal if it had been any of the other members of the team. If it had been Starfire Robin would have comforted her. If it had been Cyborg he might have gotten some small amount of correction from Robin. If it had been Robin he would have beat himself up about it and then cleaned it. Beastboy was Raven's territory though.

She saw everyone's eyes look at Beastboy, the broken glass, and then her. They were waiting for her. "**Idiot**," she said and then almost gagged on the lie she'd just spoken. She left the room before anybody could say anything. The 'Idiot' had come to her later that night as he always had for the last month. There had been nothing different from the nights before. The 'Idiot' consoled her and then took on some of her burden, the 'Idiot' even tucked her into bed and cleaned her room up for her. She didn't know how to apologize to him, she didn't know how to make this better. The only things she knew was that she couldn't continue this facade and she couldn't live by the expectations of the others. She glanced over at him and saw he was eating a bowl of cereal, one arm up to support his head, so as to keep from falling in the cereal bowl.

"Beastboy"

He sleepily looked over at her and smiled, "Morning Rae."

"I'm going to the city today and was wondering if you'd like to go." She was pretty sure she saw Cyborg stop his game playing, if only for a moment, when she'd said that.

His eyes widened briefly at the invitation, but smiled again and just said, "Sure."


	3. I'm Not Above Trying To Take Your Hand

Chapter 3 I'm Not Above Trying to Take Your Hand

"I'll say it now, cuz I want it now." Interpol 'Not Even Jail'

Disclaimer: still don't own the Titans, sorry.

ninjamonkey: I wrote some more, hope its good though

readerrr grrrl: no, no Thank you

nothing else worked: hey glad to see you're continuing with the story, hope this chapter makes it better.

ARWWAT: Cool, thanks for the compliment, hope the new chapter is alright.

To all the other people who have read and or reviewed this story, thank you so much.

A somber mood hung as they made their way down the streets and he didn't really know how to lift it or even if he could lift it. In the past he would have done his best to make her smile, but it had never worked. Over time he had come to find that she preferred to face her problems, rather than forget about them, a characteristic he'd come to admire.

"I'm going away," she said without warning. The suddenness left him without breath. He searched her face as they walked, looking for a sign of weakening in her resolve, but he saw none. She didn't look back at him either as she had promised herself she wouldn't until he answered her question.

"How long," he asked, trying to hide the anxiety in his voice, but failing miserably. The wind teased her hair around her face, tempting her to look over at him, but she remained strong.

"Its only for two days. I-I have something I have to do." She looked at the ground, not wanting to see his eyes, not wanting to know his answer.

"Oh," he said as he shoved his hands in his pockets and then drew them out again. "Well, I can umm I can go with you. If you want."

She let out a breath she didn't even know she'd been holding. She gaved over at him and said, "You don't even know what I'm going to do or where I'm going. I mean I want you to go, just don't-um yeah you can come." She blushed and looked away.

"Well, good then, I'll go." He said, feeling the mood slowly lift off them, replaced with something giddy. He fought it down because he knew where it would lead if he let it loose.

"OK, well we're leaving tomorrow," she said awkwardly, not really sure what else to say.

"OK."

"Yeah."

They walked on in silence, not totally uncomfortable with it, but unsure of how they had gotten there.

As they walked they came to a crowd on the sidewalk watching a parade. Neither of them were interested so they made their way slowly, but surely through the crowd till they emerged with one small difference.

At some point when they had walked through the crowd, whether it had been from the slight jostling, or simply a need to stay together, her right hand and his left hand had clasped. The two of them had never noticed the action and some part of them refused them this knowledge for the rest of their outing. They never saw the knowing smiles of others or the way people now went around them, rather than between them. They simply walked the streets hand in hand unheeded by worry or embarrassment till they reached the tower again where their hands finally opened to let their owners part, knowing full well they would be united again that night.


	4. Safety Abounds

Chapter 4 Safety Abounds

"Along the way tears drown in the wake of delight, there's nothing like this built today" Interpol 'Take You On A Cruise'

Disclaimer-I don't own the Titans, believe it or not. While I'm at it I don't really know much about Raven's mom, so this is why I'm taking some liberties with her history, hope that's ok.

Readerrr Girrrl: thank you so much for your reviews and encouragement, I hope to see more of your writing soon

nothing else worked: its going to work out the way it works out I guess. I have an idea in mind but it could change itself before I reach the end, sorry I can't be more clear than that, but thank you for the review

Margo86: dude thank you so much. the hand holding and what it represents was exactly what I was going for so it was really nice to hear someone point it out. Hey by the way, when are you going to start writing again?

DarkDeamon3: update! hope its aight

Jiro Arukawa: thanks mans and go BB indeed!

vinnie the geek: thanks for the review of all three chapters and the description. I'm trying to make the description more fluid and less...choppy I guess. so any criticism you or anybody else has is more than welcome.

Thank you all for your reviews and encouragement. I hope this chapter is to your satisfaction. If not, then I'll try harder, promise.

They had left the tower much earlier than his liking, but she had assured him that it was completely necessary. He now stood on the deck of a ship, watching the sun rise over a blue ocean. She stood beside him, watching the same sun rise, but unable to enjoy it. The thought of what this trip was about kept bothering her. It had been three years since she had last seen her mother's grave. She nervously bit her lip, unconsciously dragging her teeth across it. What would she do there? Would the people of the island welcome her or ignore her as they had done in the past? What would she say to her mother? A hand flashed in her line of sight causing her to jump. She looked over at Beast Boy, curious as to why he had... she saw that a drop of blood was in the palm of his hand. She touched the tips of her fingers to her lips and drew them back to see blood.

"Are you ok" he asked. He had never seen her like this before. Normally he would never have been able to surprise her like that and she never would have bitten her lip, ever. He saw the way her hands trembled ever so slightly at her sides. What were they about to face?

"Yes, I'm just thinking." She turned away believing she had shown enough weakness as of late, no need to show him the fear in her eyes.

He knew that was meant to end the conversation so he took a different approach. "Can I show you something"

She turned back to him, sure that he wanted to show her an arcade game or something... if her thoughts had physical form she would have destroyed it. She still hadn't gotten used to the other side of him that was serious and patient. She still wanted to tag him with a childish personality, even though she had learned he was more than that. This new side of him made her guess more. The more she was around him the more surprised she was by what he said and did. She remembered they had all been walking in the park and she had seen him slowly separate himself from the group and then turn into a small bird without being noticed by any of the team, but her. As a bird he swiftly picked up a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest and placed it back in, then just as quickly flew back to the group, changing back to his usual form. He didn't say a word about it to anyone, didn't brag, didn't exaggerate on the feat, just kept it to himself. She was proud of him at that moment. "Yes" just yes. There wasn't any question to what it was he wanted to show her. She respected him too much for that.

She followed him to the bow of the ship, where the passengers were fewer and then he spoke. "I've been thinking about our nightly visits and I wanted to try something with you if you're willing"

"What"

"Well, if you can exchange thoughts and emotions with me, what's to stop me from doing the same"

To be honest the thought had never actually occurred to Raven. What, other than her, would stop him"OK."

He placed his head to hers and then she felt it coming over her. A calmness seemed to flow over her, reassurance that she wasn't alone, and the courage to face her mother's grave. She pulled him to her, knowing he was scared of what was to come. "I just don't, what do you want me to" he whispered in her ear as he returned the hug.

"Don't worry" she assured him with her own newfound confidence. The island drew near.


	5. Tie Me Up! Untie Me!

Chapter 5 Tie Me Up! Untie Me!

"If time is my vessel, then learning to love might be my way back to sea" Interpol 'Public Pervert'

Disclaimer I don't own the Titans. and the title of the story belongs to Mewithoutyou, the previous chapter title belongs to Pedro the Lion, and the title before that belongs to Further Seems Forever

Jurodan: thanks for the reviews mans, I really need some work on my description (and my grammar) so if you see something that sticks out, let me know.

renayumi: here you go, hope its aight

Demigod: I know the chapters aren't that long, but with this story I wanted them to be kinda short. This chapter is longer than the previous ones I think so I hope its ok. Thanks for the review!

Readerrr Grrrl: Here is another update. I hope this is good, let me know and be honest :)

Ebony Sorceress: thanks

JMPchick: thanks for the positive review, hope the new chapter is worth it

Thanks to all my readers and reviewers you guys rock it!

She had surprised herself when the the boat first landed. Upon stepping onto the island she began to recall where her mother was buried almost immediately. Few others had gotten off the boat with them for the island was not known for its lush vacation spots, but rather its quietness. There were a few villages around the island, but they were not know for their friendliness. Her mother had come here after leaving Azerath. She had never escaped the mark Raven's father had placed on her though. When people had seen her they looked away, ignored her. Most people felt that there was something odd about her, though there was nothing visibly wrong, nor was she unkind. She had eventually succumbed to disease and died alone on the island. A nearby village had buried her twenty miles away from them, in an unmarked grave. When her father had told her these things at the age of 13 she begged to see the grave. Her father granted it, believing she would come back to him, but she hadn't come back since.

And now she stood here for the first time in four years, her cape fluttering in the breeze. It was always silent around her mother's grave, even the sound of her breathing never made its way to her ears. She looked at the surrounding trees, but they held little vitality. Though they stood tall and straight near the grave she could see it was more out of duty than want. She looked back at Gar to see if he was ok. She had told him earlier on that he could stay on the boat, but he refused and so she had let him come with her. What was she doing here?

She had never seen her mother while she was alive. What did she expect from this visit? A spirit to rise from the grave and embrace her? A cure all for her problems? She knew none of these things would happen, though her heart held out a hope for some kind of deliverance. "Gar, can you please give me a few minutes alone" she said, not unkindly.

"Sure" he answered casually and began walking back the way they had come.

When she was sure he had gone far enough she told him he didn't need to go any farther. She sat down near the grave and began to speak to her mother.

"Hello...I don't know what to say to you. I didn't really know you when we were on Azerath together and I don't know you now. You're my mother though, so maybe you can help me. I've been having nightmares lately. Mostly about the end of the world and my father finally getting to me. I really don't know what to do about them. He, Beast Boy, Gar, he's been helping me with them... He cares about me, for me. I don't know what to do Mom" she said simply, admitting something she had never wanted anyone to know. "Father has been defeated so many times and yet he is continually linked to me. I had hoped that when I came here something magical would happen and that you'd... you would do something, but I can see now that's not going to happen and I'm sorry if I bothered you and I'm sorry my father raped you." She wanted that to be the end of her conversation, but words continued to pour out of her. "Mom, I'm seventeen years old and I feel like I'm always bearing the weight of the world on my shoulders. I want to stop worrying about this. I want to be able to smile without having to worry if something will break I think I needed to come here just to tell you that. This hasn't been a wasted visit and I will come again, but I'm disappointed that nothing has changed. This trip has been a total disappointment. I still feel the weight on me, but I'm glad I got to see you again, and I'm sorry I never got to know you that well." She briefly smiled as the wind continued to make the trees sway. "He is good to me" she said to herself and her mouth briefly smirked. "Goodbye" she said just before leaving to find Beast Boy.

"Um hi Miss... Raven" Beast Boy said nervously, as he sat on a fallen tree a quarter of a mile from Raven and her mother's grave"my name's Garfield Logan. I'm a...I'm a friend of your daughter Raven. I mean why else would I be talking to you if I didn't know Raven right? I just wanted to let you know that she's really...you'd be proud of her. She's always there for me and the rest of our team and never quits and I wish I could be like that a lot of the time. I'm kind of a slacker. I care about the team and people, but Raven CARES you know? Like there was this one time when my girlfriend left me and Raven was always there making me eat and wouldn't let me stay in my room and be depressed all day. She even played video games with me and she hates video games. I beat her really bad too! Like she was aiming for this one guy, but then I...not that that's important, sorry. Um, but you would be proud of her and that's all I wanted to say, so just letting you know. I mean there's so many good things to say about her, but I can't put it in words. I mean you know most of them anyways, so I'll just leave it at that. So I guess, bye? No wait, I forgot, sometimes I get really worried about Raven because she's so intense" Raven found him a few minutes later patiently waiting for her.

"Did anything happen" he asked, full of curiosity.

"We had a good talk. She likes you, I think. You ready to go" she asked a small smile making its way across her face. The smiles had become more frequent in the last few days. He didn't think she knew that though.


	6. Torches Together

Torches Together

Disclaimer: I don't own the Titans and the title belongs to Mewithoutyou

Greenlobster7878: here's a bit of fluff, hope its alrighty

Readerrr Grrrl: thanks so much for your kindness, well I was thinking raven might forget her way to her mom's grave since its kinda in the middle of a jungle with no actual markers or anything. But its all good

JMPChick: thanks again for the reviews

Renuyami: here it be

Kitty-kat-blue: this story will be 10 chapters long cuz that's how many songs are on the Interpol cd. Thanks for your reviewsssss

THAnk you all my reviewers and readers. I apologize for having taken so long in getting this chapter out, but a lot of stuff happened to me last week, including my car breaking down on the top of a bridge J I hope to get another chapter out before the week is over, but no promises.

"Try pleasing with stealth." Interpol 'C'mere'

"Aw c'mon man. BB and Raven? There's no way that would happen. They'd kill each other before the first date even started," Cyborg stated as he chewed on a sandwhich. Starfire, Robin, and he had been sitting at the kitchen table for the last half hour in silence till Robin had said that there was something going on between their two absent members.

He hadn't seen it coming, hadn't noticed the little ways they acted around one another. The way they always seemed to know where the other would be without even looking up from what they were doing. In fact they weren't even surprised to be asked the question. He wondered if they even knew what was going on.

"I believe it is most wonderful that our friends have gotten together," Starfire gushed, her head propped up by her hands, "but friend Robin how did you discover this?"

Robin bit his lip and then began listing the facts. "They're not making it obvious guys, but I'm sure there's something going on. For one thing the diameter of Raven's personal space is about six inches."

"Whoa, how do you know that," Cyborg asked with a sly grin.

"Because in times past that's as far as Raven would let BB get next to her before she threw him around the room."

"Oh," Cyborg said disappointedly. He had been hoping for one of Robin's rare blushes

"Recently, however, I've seen Beast Boy standing right next to Raven and she didn't do anything about it."

"But friend Robin surely one or two instances of standing next to one another cannot mean anything."

"They've done it every day for the last three weeks. I've also noticed some other things. Remember the movie we went and saw two weeks ago?"

"Yeah! Remember the scene where Ketrick took that alien-"

"Remember when Raven and Beast Boy were holding hands," Robin said, effectively cutting Cyborg off. "At some point during the movie they began holding hands. Their fingers weren't intertwined, but when was the last time you saw Raven holding anyone's hand?"

"Oh, I do not believe I have ever seen Raven doing such a wonderful thing as the holding of hands."

"How would you know about hand holding Star," Cy asked, the sly grin in place again. This time he was rewarded with Robin and Star both blushing.

"Hmphhhlh," Robin said, clearing his throat. "Did either of you notice that Raven has been showing a lot more emotion lately too? Nothing has blown up, and I say this having checked every room in the tower any time she's flashed a smile, cracked a grin, or gotten angry. One other thing, about 90 of the time, the emotion she expresses is towards Beast Boy."

"Ok let's say I believe you," Cy started, "what do we do about it?"

"Do?"

"Yeah man. This is BB and Raven we're talkin' about. There must be some kind of teasing in order."

"They don't know about it."

"Excuse me!"

"They don't know that they're doing these things. They don't know that for the last week they have sat on opposite ends of the couch and gradually make their way closer to one another until they meet in the middle. Raven doesn't realize she's been eating Beast Boy's tofu without it even being offered to her, just like Beast Boy doesn't know that he's actually been respecting Raven's quiet times. Its all in their subconscious minds."

"So what? You're telling me that they're sleep walking in broad daylight?"

"No, they're fully awake, but their minds aren't willing to admit it somehow. I'm not sure if we should make it known to them or not. It could lead to a rift in their relationship or it might be for the better." Robin heard the elevator and shut his mouth. Cyborg did the opposite.

"Yo BB we gotta talk," Cyborg yelled from the kitchen. Robin grimaced, but realized this was for the best.


	7. An Answer And A Lack of Tragedy

An Answer and a Lack of Tragedy

Disclaimer I don't own the Titans, big surprise right?

RyokoJesseandFiend: thanks for the reviews and the tips. I agree that Raven's talk with her mom was a little rushed and should have been better thought out.

Readerrr Grrrl: Thanks as always. I hope you like this chapter as well.

greenlobster7878: here's more, just hope its quality.

JMPchick: glad you like it. Here's chapter 6

renayumi: no teasing in this chapter, though i might try it for a later chapter, sorry :(

Thanks to all my reviewers and readers, you guys are so good to me.

OK so when i first tried to write this chapter it didn't turn out so well. I couldn't keep the same tone as the rest of the story when I had Robin and Cyborg talking/teasing Beastboy so I tried it another way. This is the other version of that chapter.

"I've grown lengths and lengths and lengths of love since we started this thing out." Interpol 'Length of Love'

How was he in love with Raven? How was HE in love with Raven? The facts had been presented to him by his friends. Their time spent together, their sharing of affection, but were their actions any measure of how they actually felt about one another? Terra had deceived him using the same methods. Still, he knew that Raven would never be dishonest. After all, she had always been brutally honest with him, subtlety wasn't really her thing. This wasn't the point though. The question wasn't if Raven was in love with him, though he wouldn't have minded the answer. The question was, "am I in love with her," he asked aloud.

If he was in love with her when had it begun? The first night he had come to her room? The first day they'd met at the Tower? After Malchior? After Terra? No...none of these felt right somehow.. He had come to realize a very long time ago that loving Raven was not an easy thing to do. In their first year together he had often told others how sorry he felt for the man who did fall in love wtih Raven. He had thought her hateful and weird. Their relationship was a working one only.

In their second year, after Terra and just before Malchior, Cyborg had made a bet with him. It was something he regretted now because at the time he and Cyborg had treated Raven as a plaything, not a person. Somebody to mess around with or make bets on and should she ever get back at them...they would say she didn't play fairly or she just couldn't take a joke.

The bet had been on whether or not he could form a friendship with Raven. He admitted failure after a week of trying to learn how to meditate, cast spells, and read books in languages he had never known existed. He had to wash the T-car for a month, but during that time he realized something in himself. He wanted to hang out with Raven, wanted to know that she liked him, appreciated him. He studied her, watched what she did, and then one morning-

"I fixed your cup of tea Raven."

She raised her eyebrow. "Did you do anything to it," she asked, with just a hint of menace to her voice.

"What? No. I just figured since I woke up before everybody I'd go ahead and make their drinks," he finished lamely.

She picked up the cup and sniffed it before taking a sip. "Its good, thank you."

"Sure."

That was it. Their first civil conversation ever lasted exactly two minutes and 23 seconds. Nonetheless he continued to make a cup of tea for her every morning. Sometimes they spoke to one another and other times they merely sat in silence, she drinking a cup of tea and he a cup of orange juice. Something else had happened too, but what was it? She had...reciprocated. Sometimes when she was out she would ask if he needed anything and sometimes even boughthis grocerieswith her own money. As the months went on this reciprocation continued to grow between the two of them until... until what? Until that first night when he realized something was wrong with her. When he realized that in the last year they had become friends. When he realizedthat he had gained her trust.

A sacrifice, the bearing of one's grief. That's what that first night and all those other nights after that had been. There had never been a thought in his mind on whether or not she'd be able to pay him back in some way. That one day she'd shed his tears or she'd relive his nightmares or know how he felt, this wasn't important to him. He didn't need any reciprocation from her because "I love her." The words spoken didn't send thunderclaps throughout the building. Earthquakes did not make their way through the city. The light bulbs didn't even flicker. It was a truth, an absolute, a part of his being. They affected him alone. So what was he going to do with them?


	8. When Pushed Stand Strong

Chapter 8 Some Fires Never Burn, Some Giants Never Fall

Disclaimed: I don't own the titans, the title of the story belongs to The Chariot

Readerrr Grrrl: Sorry its taken me so long to write this chapter. I had a lot of different ideas how I wanted to do this, but this is how it turned out and I think its better than the original idea of having a conversation with Starfire

JMPchick: thanks for your constant reviews and encouragement

greenlobster7878: glad you liked the last chapter, maybe you'll like this one too. That last chapter was really hard to write and so was this one, phewww!

renayumi: teasing next chapter, promise :) glad you liked the last chapter though

Hanita-chan: I'm glad you enjoy this fic, I hope this chapter is to your satisfaction.

I tried something different with this chapter with Raven and her emotions. I think it turned out alright. The last/next two chapters will probably go back to the original way I was writing this. Anyways thank you all for reading and reviewing.

" we saw you in despair" Interpol 'A Time To Be So Small'

"You want to know why we hid ourselves from you? Look just over the horizon, do you see them," Wisdom asked.

Raven turned to see hulking monstrosities pace back and forth. The image seemed saddening and frightening at the same time. "What are they?"

"They are your fears. They were not even two feet high fifteen minutes ago. However, much has changed in that fifteen minutes. Before that we were able to sneak by them or simply ignore them for they posed no threat."

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you play stupid with yourself Raven? You have a superior intellect. I should know. However, I see that you are unwilling to talk about this matter, so I shall speak for you. In the last fifteen minutes you had a conversation with Starfire, who has a much keener eye than the other emotions and I had hoped. She then told you of our, or rather your doings as of late. When you refused to believe her she provided proof on security tapes. You then pushed her out of your room and, I do detest this, you began to worry, as you always do whenever HE comes into your thoughts."

Raven briefly blushed and then looked back at her fears. 'Did her fears not deserve to be there? Did they not protect her?'

"Certaintly not! Perhaps if they were a smaller scale fear, but these are different. These are the fears that keep us from change, from growth-

"From Happiness," Happy said brightly, though bruised and bleeding from her back.

"Quiet right Happy. You have allowed these fears to grow within you. Now you must battle these fears, for if you do not you are bound to bring your nightmares to light. You will never be fulfilled and your sorrows will increase a thousand fold. We cannot bear it and neither will you," Wisdom finished, crossing her arms over her chest.

Rage ran to Raven's side, "You do not need friends," she whispered in the girl's ear.

Raven repeated the words to herself, "I don't need friends."

"Then why have you spent the last three years at their side Raven? Why do you go out with them? Why did you ask Beast Boy to go with you to your mother's grave, to spend time with you? And please, do not tell me it was our fault. Much to our surprise you asked him all on your own."

"Don't listen to her! She would have you socializing with those who are clearly beneath you," Rage screeched.

"Beneath her? I hardly think so," Wisdom spoke again and began to smile, "if anything they have shown themselves to be more than worthy of our friendship, our admiration, and...our love."

"Love! Pfah! There is no-"

"Shut it," Bravery yelled as she knocked Rage to the ground.

Wisdom smirked at the action and then turned back to Raven, who still seemed unsure of herself. "You know what you must do."

Raven gazed back at her fears and could not bear to know such cowardice dwelled within her. "My fears will be destroyed," and with that she found herself back in her room. The fear attacked her almost immediately.

She could feel the fear prickling at her brain, reaching for her throat, but still she faced herself in the mirror. "They are my friends." She began to think of the time shared with them and then-

'They will leave you, scorn you, mock-' a voice whispered, still Raven said, "They are my friends." They would continue to be her friends and Beast Boy he would be there for-

'And what of him? He will never love you.' Love was something she had always thought unnecessary, but in these last few months she had come to realize it was something she needed, wanted, hungered for. Garfield had shown her this love and she would happily return it.

"I will love him," she told her reflection in the mirror. She began to feel a strain on her. The room seemed to weigh heavily on her shoulders as suffocation settled on her lungs.

'He is only pla-' the voices whispered so seductively.

She shook her head. "He is not! He is caring and kind and he is my friend! I will love him," she cried with a final resolve. Just as suddenly as it had come the fear left. She fell to her knees and then asleep, not hearing Beast Boy come in. She awoke a few hours later to find a small card had been placed on her nightstand and that she had been placed in her bed, the bear he had won her tucked in her arms. The smallest of smiles crept along her face.


	9. Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I...

Chapter 9 Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, DC does. The title of the story belongs to The Smiths.

Public apology, sorry it has taken me so long to write this chapter. I don't have any incredible reasons for not having written it other than I've just gotten busy with life and the things around me. Still I know how much it sucks to have to wait a month or more for a story to get updated and I'm sorry its taken this long. The story only has one more chapter and then it will be completed. Hopefully that chapter won't take a month or more to post.

Hanita-Chan: so glad you're liking the story, yeah the fears thing was pretty fun to mess around with.

greenlobster7878: thanks so much for your encouragement. I'm hoping this chapter turned out well, hit me with your best shot if its not

The Mad shoe1: Thanks!

renayumi: here's the next one, sorry again that its taken so long

Jurodan: thanks I really did want the characters to grow and I hope that their growth continues to be evident in this chapter and the final one.

RyokoJesseandFiend: I hope you've recovered from your swoon and are ok now :) Chapter nine is up

JMPchick: awesome, I'm so glad you're still with the story

Reading Girl: its totally cool and I'm glad you've stuck with the story for so long.

Sashajay: thanks, hope this chapter is good as well.

"Don't give up your lover tonight" Interpol 'Narc'

She softly opened the door a crack. She could see him pacing back and forth across the roof. Did he know she was here? All that separate them was fifty feet of empty space and two inch thick door. She was fifteen minutes late already. The door closed as she waited for her heart to slow to an acceptable rate. Her breathing slowed as did her heart beat. She could feel herself sweating though. What was she supposed to do here? What did she have to say? She wanted him in her life, there was a part of her that wanted to speak no words, that simply wanted to hold him and never let him go. That might scare him though, so some civility couldn't hurt she supposed.

He smelled her scent, lavender gently wafting in the air, teasing him. He could almost picture her standing behind that door. Pure silver covered in dark purple from head to toe. She'd been behind that door for the last twenty minutes and he supposed he could have easily opened it, confronted her, but he would wait. This wasn't about him forcing her to do this, it had to be mutual. He wished he had a water balloon at that moment... He laughed at the thought, but then thought that a joke of some sort might be alright. Nothing cruel, just a child's game.

She opened the door again and winced at the way it squeaked. He had to have heard that, it must have been nails on a chalkboard to his already sensitive ears. She loved his ears... a blush rose to her face. She saw him standing in one place now, his back to her. He knew she was there. Was he smiling or frowning at the thought? Did he sigh with relief or was he cursing her under his breath? Where was bravery or happy in this situation? Had they actually bowed out to Timidity? That's who seemed to have taken her over and she couldn't bear it. She would have to do this herself, no emotions to blame. It would be all of her and nothing else.

He had never discussed with any of his teammates, but inside of his head he could hear... It was hard to describe, but it was as if he had another consciousness all together separate from him. While he thought logically, the other was pure instinct. In his human form the logical mind was in full control, but that didn't mean he had no contact with the more primal part of him, the part of him that was telling him how to bait a trap. A trap always needs good bait, whether it be food or something shiny. In the end though, what really drew the prey out was their own curiosity. Even the "mysterious" Raven had that natural curiosity all are born with. There was no way she would be able to resist what he set out for her or in this case didn't set out for her. A smile crossed his face as the door behind him closed.

She could not bear this waiting any longer. She would not bear this waiting any longer. She would be brave, she would be bold, she would step out in faith and proclaim her feelings to the world...but first she needed to see what he was doing one last time. She slowly opened the door and couldn't see him. Had he left? Given up hope in her and... She opened the door a little more and still no one that she could see was on the roof. She listened and didn't hear a thing. Her earlier timidity forgotten she began to venture out past the door, her mind barely registering the closed door behind her or the footsteps that ran along the roof, angling their way towards her.

The moon shown on her pale features. A simple black cotton dress hung from her shoulders and he briefly wondered what it would be like to collide into her, would the dress feel soft against his skin as he held her to him just before they fell? He changed form from the mouse he had been earlier to his natural, more human form and...he couldn't do it. This wasn't a time for a joke or a witty comment or even a whoopie cushion. This was so serious his head hurt trying to wrap his mind around the ramifications of what could happen tonight, a thousand what-if's thundered through his brain, but through it all he withstood it. It was so simple the way he placed his hand on her shoulder, feeling the brief ripple of shock that coursed through her body at the uninvited, but not unwelcomed touch. So simple the way he asked her to sit by his side and to let him confess to her what he'd been feeling and thinking. So simple the way she accepted his offer.


	10. I'll Stumble Into Your Gravity

"I'll stumble into your gravity"

Disclaimer: I don't own the Titans, sorry. The title is taken from a Kerith Ravine song entitled 'Two Glasses'

"I submit my incentive is romance." Interpol 'Slow Hands'

Well this started as an idea that was inspired by an Interpol song and I finished it the same way. I'm pretty pleased with it overall. One thing this fic has done for me is that it has introduced me to some of the best writers on this website. Seriously, its really humbling to be reviewed by writers whose work you enjoy, writers whose talent I am often jealous of. I thank you all, everybody who reviewed or read, even if it was just one chapter. Thank you guys.

It'll probably be one-shots for a little while, but I do have an idea for a much longer fic, but no promises as to when or if it will come out. Thank you guys again.

Reading Girl: Thank you so much for sticking with me through this story. Your encouragement has been a blessing.

Hollywoodstars&eyes: thanks for your reviews and I hope you get to finish the story

Greenlobster7878: well this is it, thank you as well for sticking with the story and I hope it was worth it.

RyokoJesseandFiend: thanks for your compliments on the last chapter. I hope this one's even better, I'm not sure…but I think this one is as good…maybe 

Renayumi: here you are, the final chapter. I hope its good.

They sat with their legs dangling over the edge of the roof. Neither of them worried about the other falling because they trusted themselves. They trusted that they'd catch the other, support them, never let them be hurt. If one were to lose their grip, slide over the edge, the other was sure to catch them around their waist, pull the fallen one towards them, reassure them with the lightest of kisses, calm their fears, let the other know they are loved. When they looked at falling from that perspective, there seemed to be an incentive to slip.

His hand held hers, feeling the warmth. Most people assumed her hands would be cold as ice. He thought those people fools. The warmth in her hands, the bit of nervousness that showed in her eyes. Sometimes he thought she was more alive than anyone he had ever met. He let his eyes look over her face, not sure what she was thinking. He lowered his forehead to hers, a brief spark from the chakra, and then…

She saw them, she saw him preparing her tea, smiling. She saw him providing a shoulder for her to cry on, making her laugh, putting her to bed when she was tired. She saw all of this and a thousand other ways in which he had served her. He had told her that he loved in nearly a thousand different ways without ever using those exact words. Each act of kindness that played in her mind brought a rising flush to her face and her heart seemed to grow that much more. A tear softly slipped down her face and then another. He knew better than to stop them. She hadn't cried in so many years, she needed this.

He pulled away from her ever so slightly, allowing her to take it all in, not sure what her next action would be. They sat in silence for a moment, both of them looking at one another. She pulled him back to her and kissed his lips before leaning her head on his, another brief spark and… He saw how she smiled at him when his back was turned to her. How the sweater she had gotten him for a Christmas that happened two years ago hadn't been bought, it had been made. He saw that after he put her to bed she would often come to his room while he slept and sing softly over him. He saw her love for him and its intensity made him gasp ever so slightly. He briefly wondered how she could have hidden such strong emotion within her tiny frame without cracking, but then decided he'd rather live in the moment then think about how's and what could have been's.

"I can't be free of you," she said, her voice at its normal monotone pitch, but her eyes searching his eyes for release. "I can't be free of you and I don't want to be," she spoke and then bowed her head, awaiting her sentence, the end of the world.

Reassuring hands tilted her face towards his and kissed her and not for one second did she wonder why buildings weren't crumbling, the earth rupturing or even why she still existed. It wasn't the end of the world, but she still hugged him as if it were their last embrace. 'A hug that would have made Starfire proud,' Gar briefly thought, returning her hug, smelling her hair, knowing, knowing that this was right, that this was love.


End file.
